Does Doja Cat’s ‘Vegas,’ Which Interpolates Elvis Presley’s ‘Hound Dog,’ Qualify for an Oscar?
variety.comJon Burlingame editor Does Doja Cat’s hit song “Vegas” qualify to be an Oscar Best Song nominee? The short answer is: Maybe.
But the tune from Baz Luhrmann’s biopic “Elvis” faces more challenges than the average new movie song. The three-and-a-half-minute, commercially released version of “Vegas,” a portion of which is heard during the first half-hour of the film, interpolates the 1950s classic “Hound Dog,” although more in its repeated use of a famous lyrical phrase (“you ain’t nothin’ but a…”) than any musical element.
Because of that, original “Hound Dog” songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller are co-credited as writers on “Vegas” along with Doja Cat (under her real name, Amala Zandile Dlamini), David Sprecher and Roget Lufti Chahayed, the latter two of whom are the credited producers.
The question for Oscar music-branch judges — who will ultimately determine its eligibility for the golden statuette — is, does it meet the Academy’s criteria?
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